санах

to miss or remember

These days I tend to get asked, "What will you miss about Mongolia?" quite a bit. It is a valid and wonderful question, but one that is difficult to answer. So usually my reply involves the words 'mountains' or 'friends' because the real answer is quite broad and tricky to express (in English or Mongolian). This is because the things I'll miss all involve a story that illustrate various characteristics of this lovely nation that I've come to appreciate and store up in my heart. People don't want to listen to you blather on about six different stories when they ask you what you will miss about something or someplace. And I don't want to be labeled 'Alissa, the one who blathers about Mongolia' or, 'Alissa, the blather-er' or, worse, just "the blather-er.'


So, much to my delight, I have this useful thing called a blog. Where I am free to carry on about whatever I want with no worries. And because I like you and want to spare you from a rambling, verbal mess of weird stories I'll just write, in as succinct and economical way as possible, my favorite stories for you to read...unless you want the verbal mess (I suppose something can be arranged). For now, though, read away to your heart's content:



What will you miss about Mongolia?



1. The French Bull Dog


If you visit here, you can read all about this little guy.


2. Let's Make Out and a Bunny Hat

I love walking around UB. Mongolian people are always doing something interesting. One day I passed by an old woman unzipping her pants as she stood in the middle of the sidewalk. At first, I was a little concerned. But then I realized she was just trying to dig out some money from the pocket of a second pair of pants she was wearing underneath.

If they aren't doing something paricularly interesting, they at least make sure their clothing is memorable. In March last year, I was on my way home when I saw a group of girls coming the opposite direction. There were three of them walking in a row. The two on the outside were dressed in "normal" college-y type fashion, but the one between them was wearing one of the most rediculous hats I've ever seen. It was a big, fluffy, pink bunny's head with long ears, puffy white cheeks and two braids hanging off it's jaw so the wearer could tie them under her chin and secure the rabbit to her head if need be. I've worn lots of weird stuff (ie plether pants) so I can't be too critical on this young lady. It takes a special kind of person to wear a fluffy pink bunny head hat in public.

This same month, the place I had been getting copies made at also became a dress shop. The place was no larger than a typical college dorm room, so there was a lot going on in one very tiny space. One day, while waiting for some copies to finish, a young lady came in inquiring about dresses. There was a whole wall of different dress styles hung up on display so the girl perused them and suddenly picked out a hideous 80s prom monstrosity that was 90% sequins. Then, in the middle of the shop, the young lady pulled of her shirt while another lady pulled the dress over her head. The shop was by no means empty, nor was it filled with females. The dress was ill fitting, so she tried on another one of the same style. I was amazed that this young lady had become topless, twice, in the middle of a public place with mixed company coming in and out. But, I guess that's the beauty of a "ger-culture." Nakedness isn't quite so sensualized here as it is in other countries. Later, I noticed the dress shop did install a sort of dressing room, but it was right in front of the shop window - which was curtainless.

Sometimes I don't even have to go out on the town to observe these fashion mis-haps. For example, I was hanging out at the FCS offices when a cute little friend appeared wearing a shirt on which was written in lovely ribbon-like scroll, "Let's Make Out." She was oblivious to the meaning of this phrase, and when I explained it to her she almost exploded with laughter.

3. Is it the ice cream truck?

For many months I was always very confused when I heard a jolly little jingle playing outside around the neighborhood. I could never identify where the music was coming from, but I always thought it sounded like an ice cream truck's ditty. Although it would be strange that Mongolia would have an ice cream truck, I didn't think it impossible (there are a lot of unexpected novelties hidden around UB). Then one day, I was on my way to the JCS offices and heard the jolly jingle coming from somwhere down the street ahead of me. Finally! I thought to myself. I will figure out the source of this music - and maybe get an ice cream out of the deal (even though it was February)! I hurried toward the street and the music got louder and louder as I approached. Then the vehicle to which the jolly jingle belonged came around the corner and I was delighted to see that it was not an ice cream truck at all but something much, much better. It was the garbage man. The little jingle was a way of notifying apartment dwellers that he was on his way to pick up garbage. In Mongolia, it's always what you least expect...

4. Pickers of Grass

There's no mowers in UB. So the 'grass' that grows in parks and courtyards and other places not covered by a sheet of concrete gets long and unruly and fairly prairie-like in appearance. In the absence of mowers people are hired to pick the grass. It seems like they pick the long stuff and try to leave the short stuff. These laborers squat all day long, maybe for weeks at a time, to pick grass.

5. Beautiful Endurance

I really dislike it when our electricity goes out. This usually happens once a month for an entire day when the generator outside is juicing itself back up. Sometimes it just goes out and you are left in your dark apartment unable to do a thing about it, staring at the lucky ones across the alley enjoying their illuminated homes. It's one thing I've never really gotten used to and it tends to make me a bit grumpy. I can't explain why, maybe because I'm helpless to do anything about the problem. Eventually I get over it, because, after all, it's just electricity. Throughout several other instances similar to (and a little more intense than) regular and irregular electrical outages, I am beginning to see that Mongolians have a beautiful kind of endurance and perseverance and patience I don't often see in myself or my home culture. Maybe it has to do with the long and brutal winters, but something has fashioned in them, over time, a kind of strength that's persistant. They just keep going, they just keep living - without fuss - in the face of constant inconsistancy or various levels of hardship. Unfortunately, I think some have gotten too used to this and their endurance has become resignation. Some choose to persevere in circumstances that could be easily changed. At any rate, their specific kind of staunchness is a really wonderful quality to observe.